SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The 2015 Volkswagen Touareg launches on January 26 in the Korean market, where German automobiles are increasingly popular, chipping away at the lion’s share dominated by home-based Hyundai and Kia Motors.
Given that Volkswagen’s Tiguan is extremely popular among import models – it grabbed the title of best-selling import car as of November 2014 – it would not be an exaggeration to say that the import SUV model market might become a heated two-sided fight between the Tiguan and the Touareg.
The new Touareg, an improved version of the 2nd-generation Touareg released in 2012, is a five-passenger luxury SUV. Of note, the Touareg won the Dakar rally, one of the most grueling car races in the world, three years in a row, which was a first for a diesel-based car model.
The car is also famous for its powerful strength. In 2006, a slightly modified Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDi towed a 155-tonne Boeing 747 over a distance of 150 meters.
With a claim to be the “first – and best – SUV by Volkswagen,” the Touareg has received rave reviews, proving its powerful performance through a series of events. In 2005, the luxury SUV completed a total of 76,451km over 26 countries on six continents through 360 projects around the earth without any difficulties, reaching an altitude of 6081 meters in the Chilean Andes and setting a record for the highest point on earth reached by a standard vehicle model.
Armed with the off-road-focused V6 TDI 4XMotion, the new Touareg showcases its enhanced eco-friendliness and efficiency, along with style and sophistication, making it worthy of the flagship SUV designation by the German car brand.
By John Choi (johnchoi@koreabizwire.com)